It is well known that such torque converters generally comprise a housing, an impeller connected for rotation with the housing and adapted to be fixed for rotation with a first or driving shaft which in practice is the engine output shaft in the case of a motor vehicle, a turbine freely rotationally mounted relative to the housing and adpated to be fixed for rotation with a second or driven shaft which in the case of a motor vehicle is the gearbox input shaft, and a reactor member arranged between the impeller and turbine.
The reactor member must be suitably axially fixed between the turbine and the impeller in order to withstand the axial thrust and impact in the course of operation. The reactor hub receives within its axial bore the outer race of an overrunning clutch having rollers or cams, for example, the inner race is formed by the reactor sleeve itself and rotationally fixed thereto which is usually part of the gearbox in the case of a motor vehicle, or formed by an intermediate sleeve fixed against rotation relative to the reactor sleeve, e.g. by a splined connection.
To axially maintain the overrunning clutch, there are usually provided two keeper rings which in addition are utilized to ensure the centering of the reactor member and obtain the annular space necessary for the correct positioning of the overrunning clutch and also to transmit axial thrust applied in operation to the reactor member. The keeper ring disposed on the impeller side is generally subjected to higher loads.
To simplify the construction of the converter and to reduce the axial dimension and the cost thereof, it has already been proposed to incorporate into the reactor member one of the keeper rings, preferably the one on the impeller side. In this event that keeper ring is in one piece with the reactor member and comprises a transverse flange against which the outer race of the overrunning clutch bears axially.
On the other side of the outer race of the overrunning clutch is the remaining keeper ring which bears axially against the reactor member and ensures axial maintenance of the outer race with respect to the reactor member.
Such an arrangement has numerous advantages but not exclusively for the use of overrunning clutches with locking ramps or rollers for which the annual space between the outer race and the reactor sleeve or the intermediate sleeve between the outer race and the reactor sleeve or the intermediate sleeve does not require as high precision as overrunning clutches with cams.
First of all, as mentioned above, it reduces the axial dimension of the converter. Indeed, the axial dimension may be reduced as the centering of the reactor hub is provided by a single transverse flange thereon, and no axial bearing centering member is any longer necessary between the reactor hub and more particularly the outer race of the overrunning clutch on which it is received, on the one hand, and the flange and/or the remaining keeper ring which has no centering function, on the other hand.
Furthermore, the reactor and its transverse flange together define a single part which may advantageously be cast or molded of metal or plastic material, requiring only minimal machining, namely deburring; such is not the case with the remaining keeper ring. Further, since the outer race of the overrunning clutch has no centering function for the keeper rings, its axial dimension may be limited to that which is absolutely necessary for its cooperation with the associated rollers or cams of the overrunning clutch which reduces the weight and the cost.
Moreover, the reactor hub, the overrunning clutch and the remaining keeper ring may advantageously comprise a reaction assembly which defines a distinct entity which upon assembly facilitates manipulation and thereby correspondingly reduces assembly time and which in the course of use permits it to follow as a unit the axial deformations of the housing in which it is arranged without any of its various component parts accidentally coming apart in the axial direction. It is, however, unnecessary to provide between these various components to the detriment of limiting the axial dimension of the assembly, overly long axial bearing surfaces.
Yet to form such a reaction assembly, it is necessary, as mentioned above, for the keeper ring to bear axially against the reactor. In heretofore known arragements such an axial bearing has resulted, for example, from the mounting between the keeper ring and the reactor member by crimping or swaging the material of the reactor at the inner periphery thereof on the side of the keeper ring, the material being driven back radially at spaced locations into contact with the keeper ring.
Such an arrangement has drawbacks. First of all, it is in practice only appropriate when the reactor is made of metal. But in at least some cases it is desirable that the reactor member be made of a material other than metal, e.g., plastic, as mentioned above, plastic materials cannot be crimped or swaged.
Furthermore, such an operation is irreversible and taking the converter apart is not possible without destroying the assembly means.
In another known arrangement, the keeper ring is rotationally driven with the reactor by a combination of dogs and notches and it is maintained axially by an abutment ring. But this arrangement requires the machining of the groove which receives the abutment ring.
The present invention has as a general object the provision of a device requiring minimal or no machining, and providing dismountability and the possibility of using a material other than metal.
According to the invention there is provided a reaction assembly for a torque converter of the type comprising a reactor member having an axial bore and a transverse flange, an overrunning clutch having an outer race received in the axial bore. One axial end of the outer race bears axially against the transverse flange of the overrunning clutch. A ring on the other axial side of the outer race of the overrunning clutch bears axially against the reactor member and maintains the outer race relative to the reactor member. The reaction assembly is characterized by a bayonet mount means between the ring and the reactor member, and by locking means associated with the ring to fix it against rotation relative to the reactor hub. According to another aspect of the invention a torque converter is provided having such a reaction assembly.
The bayonet mount means provided according to the invention may be utilized with reactor members made of metal or plastic material, and the same holds for the ring.
Preferably, the bayonet mount means is advantageously reversible.
In conjunction therewith, the rotational connecting means associated with the keeper ring which may have limited or no angular clearance prevents the keeper ring from coming off the reactor member for any mount of relative angular rotation. In addition, the rotational connecting means positively locates the friction which the keeper ring produces. The friction should preferably develop between the keeper ring and the turbine, for example, and not between the keeper ring and the reactor member.
Preferably, the connecting means comprises at least one tab which is fixed to or integral with the keeper ring and is engaged axially into opening or slot in the reactor member between two axial shoulders thereon. The opening or slot extends acially through the reactor member and therefore opens axially on the opposite side from the tab in case the assembly is to be dismountable.
At the time of initial assembly of the keeper ring, the tab for ensuring that fixing of the keeper ring for rotation with the reactor member extends transversely relative to the axis of the assembly. After assembly of the keeper ring the tab is folded over into the corresponding opening in the reactor member.
According to a preferred embodiment, the tab is part of a tab washer separate from the keeper ring and is disposed axially between the outer race of the overrunning clutch and fiwed for rotation therewith.
Alternatively, the tab is part of the keeper ring and is formed in one piece therewith.
In any event, the bayonet mount means according to the invention is a particularly easy and quick mounting means while being thoroughly secured.